Which Lottery Has The Best Jackpot Odds?

Not all lottery jackpots are created equally. Some jackpots grow at set amounts from draw to draw; others rise in proportion to player interest and ticket sales. Some lotteries have jackpot caps while others boast jackpots that seem to roll over forever. Apparently, some jackpots are harder to win than others. That's because the jackpot odds are not the same for each lottery.

Which lottery should you play?

Of course jackpot odds are not the only factor you should consider when deciding to play a lottery. First and foremost you will be attracted by the size of the lottery's jackpot. The higher the prize, the more you fantasize about winning it. You should note, however, that the lotteries which boast the biggest jackpots are also those with the least favourable winning odds.

Another consideration when choosing which lottery to play is how frequently the lottery's jackpot falls. Knowing that a jackpot has rolled over a number of times and that statistics show it should fall in the coming draw/s will certainly be a factor to get you to play.

In the table below you can see a comparison of how frequently the jackpot is won in some of the most popular lotteries:

Lottery

No. of draws until jackpot won
on average

Australia - Saturday Lotto

1.23

Austria - Lotto

2.17

EuroMillions

5.30

Spain - La Primitiva

8.83

U.S. - Powerball

10.60

Mega Millions

13.25

Swiss Lotto

26.50

SuperEnalotto

79.00

Lottery odds vs. jackpot odds

When questioning which lottery has the best jackpot odds we quickly realize that the biggest lotteries of all – the Powerball and the Mega Millions – have odds that are nearly impossible to beat. Their jackpots do not fall very frequently and as a result, rise to astronomical heights. On the other hand, there are lotteries with relatively modest jackpots which seem to fall every other draw.

What exactly are jackpot odds? How do jackpot odds differ from lottery to lottery? And how are they different from lottery odds?

By definition, lottery odds are the odds of your winning any prize in a lottery, while jackpot odds refer to your chances of winning a specific prize - the jackpot.

The odds for winning a lottery prize are based on formulas considered "lottery mathematics", which determine your chances of having winning numbers in a draw. Formulas for calculating lottery odds and jackpot odds are a bit complicated. (Formulas for the calculation of lottery jackpots are also complicated, but that's a different story.) Lottery odds and jackpot odds take into account how many numbers there are in total, how many of them are selected in each draw, and whether there is an additional 'powerball' to be considered. All you really need to know is that a 1 in 21 chance of winning a prize is better than a 1 in 53 chance of winning a prize.

Of course, the better the odds for winning a prize, the lower that prize will be. And as the odds get harder to beat, the prize one could potentially win gets higher.

A lottery's jackpot is awarded to the player(s) who have successfully matched all the numbers in a lottery draw. As such, the odds of winning a jackpot prize are the lowest of all.

Which lottery has the best jackpot odds?

While the lotteries with the biggest jackpots draw the most interest, their jackpots are particularly difficult to win. The low chances of winning a Mega Millions jackpot and the daunting Powerball odds do not stop most people from rushing to purchase their lottery tickets. For them, taking the jackpot odds into account is the last thing on their minds.

Jackpot odds are not dependent on ticket sales. If 1,000 tickets are sold or 10,000 tickets are sold, the odds of winning the jackpot remain the same. The one thing that can be affected by ticket sales is the possibility that the jackpot prize, when won, will be split among more than one winner.

In the table below you can see a listing of the jackpot odds in some of the biggest, most popular big lotteries.

Big Lotteries

Jackpot Odds

SuperEnalotto

1:622,614,630

Mega Millions

1:302,575,350

Powerball

1:292,201,338

EuroMillions

1:139,838,160

EuroJackpot

1:95,344,200

Australian Powerball

1:76,767,600

Based on the above information, you may decide not to play the popular Italian lottery SuperEnalotto, even though the lottery offers amazing secondary prizes. You might instead consider to play New York's Lotto because the odds of winning the jackpot of that popular lottery are 1:45 million, or to play Swiss Lotto, where the odds of winning the jackpot are 1:31 million. Compare the above jackpot odds with the odds of winning a jackpot in the following smaller lotteries.

Small Lotteries

Jackpot Odds

Ontario 49

1:13,983,816

Poland Lotto

1:13,983,816

Vikinglotto

1:12,271,512

Ireland Lotto

1:10,737,573

Hungary Hatoslotto

1:8,145,060

Austria Lotto

1:8,145,060

New York Take 5

1:575,757

Currently the odds of winning the jackpot when playing the New York Take 5 lottery are the best offered at theLotter. Many of our players have won great prizes in the smaller lotteries, so perhaps their better odds will give you a better chance!

The most difficult jackpot to win, according to the jackpot odds listed above, is the Italian SuperEnalotto. Winning the SuperEnalotto jackpot is twice as difficult as winning either the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpots.

The bottom line when considering lottery jackpot odds

Lotteries always exciting to play and the choice of what is the best lottery to play is not always determined by lottery odds or jackpot odds. When the US Powerball boasts a $500 million jackpot can you afford not to play? When there's a $500 million jackpot up for grabs in the Mega Millions, will you not take a chance? Even a €190 million EuroMillions jackpot draw is too exciting to miss! Speaking of exciting, when is the next EuroMillions Superdraw? That's another can't miss draw to play!